About the position
Introduction
Mintek has an exciting career opportunity for the Head: Fire Assay and Reference Material Group, within the Analytical Chemistry Division. The successful candidate will lead research and innovation in analytical chemistry, through proposing appropriate work, leading technical output and developing a strong team to be solution focused in addressing needs of industry and society in this sector.
Duties & Responsibilities
Administration
- Manage and coordinate project administration activities.
- Oversee office administration.
- Manage and coordinate SHEQ administrative activities.
Finance / Budget:
- Book time to ensure positive revenue stream
- Motivation and budgeting for CAPEX; handle tender process for equipment
- Annual budgeting and monthly review. Any marketing measures to implement
- Project monitoring of expenditure against budget.
- Monitor & evaluate project milestones against billing in long-running projects (annual and
multiple years) - Manage equipment maintenance/purchase costs against budget
- Ensuring revenue generation for cost-recovery in projects
Technical
- Visibility and credibility- ensuring publication outputs are met i.e. writing of papers for
journal and conference publication; helping staff achieve these outputs for the group - Provide technical direction that people can follow and ability to communicate it effectively.
- Monitoring & Evaluation of project milestones to motivate for further funding.
- Proposal writing to secure funding from various sources through technical inputs
- Keep up to date on latest developments in the discipline and in the industry that it
serves/has potential to serve - Participate in technical forums, e.g. conferences, client/collaborator engagements
- Technical mentoring, supervision of staff, e.g. postgraduate project supervision
Quality Management and Compliance:
- Quality is part of SHEQ requirements.
- Responsible for quality of technical outputs of the group (e.g. reports, publications) -
provide technical inputs as necessary - Ensure all work done in compliance with SHEQ standards (Safety, health, environment
and quality) for the group - Facilitate Client survey assessment.
Human Resources
- Provide leadership and proper communication.
- Performance contracting and appraisals, develop KPIs in line with strategic objectives and
strategic programmes. - Mentoring and coaching, training development, facilitation
Project Management
- Project administration and record keeping.
- Allocation of resources - people and instrumentation.
- Monitoring of expenditure against budget to contain costs.
- Monitoring milestones against promised deliverables to ensure turnaround time met.
- Ensuring quality of technical outputs.
- Ensure revenue realized for work executed.
Desired Experience & Qualification
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Minimum: MSc Chemistry/ Science
- Ideal: PhD in Chemistry
EXPERIENCE:
- Minimum experience: 8-10 years' experience in the analytical chemistry field which is directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.
- Ideal: 12 years' experience.
- Experience in applying knowledge of analytical chemistry to solve problems related to
the mining and metallurgical industry.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Fundamentals of analytical chemistry.
- Knowledge of Platinum group metals analysis.
- Interpretation of analytical data from various sources of instrumentation, including, but
not limited to:
- Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy
- Inductively Coupled Plasma -Optical Emission Spectroscopy
- Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy - Liaise with various stakeholders to show value of analytical chemistry in project
outcomes for the mining and metallurgical industry, thereby bringing work to the
division. - Propose and execute research to develop new applications, methods and solutions to
problems in the mining and metallurgical industry, through application of analytical and
environmental chemistry principles. - Experience and knowledge of laboratory operating under ISO 17025 accreditation.
- Experience in writing technical report.
- Must have experience in managing a sustainable analytical facility.
- Must have a track record of operational management and execution at a business unit
level.
COMPETENCY REQUIRED
- Effective communication skills -verbal and written
- Analytical thinking and attention to detail
- People and instrument management and teamwork
- Strategic leadership to set vision for group and deliver on organisational mandate
- Conflict resolution
- Client and Quality data/results orientated
- Financial management
